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Iconic moments from the 2024 Olympics: Our running list

Gold medals, internet darlings, butts... the Paris Olympics is kind of serving.

Chase DiBenedetto

on July 31, 2024

Four images of Olympic athletes (Taishi Onodera, Daniel Wiffen, Simone Biles, and Sammy Sullivan) celebrating wins.

Paris 2024 is making history — in minds and on scoreboards. Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images ; David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images; Tom Weller/VOIGT via GettyImages ;Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

The metallic smell of gold medals is in the air and patriotism has never been higher, as the Paris 2024 Olympic Games shake out to be bursting with unforgettable moments.

Historic wins are everywhere, from fencing to shooting, and women athletes are dominating their sports. We've gotten pregnancy announcements (Can you Imagine?), lost wedding bands, and celeb cameos. There's plenty of drama and heartbreak, too, including devastating team mix-ups and accusations of espionage. Yep, the Olympics has a squarely anti-spy stance when it comes to the integrity of the games.

Here are the Olympic moments that have stood out at Paris this year and started the internet buzzing.

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A very... French opening ceremony

The games kicked off with a feast of Parisian delights on the Seine: giant heads in the river replicating Louvre paintings, Marie Antoinette's decapitated head singing with French metal band Gojira, a slippery can-can with Lady Gaga, and even a ménage à trois. Team USA charged in like we were once again crossing the Delaware; the Palestinian delegation paraded to a roar of support; and Céline Dion brought it all home singing from the Eiffel Tower.

USA gymnastics to the haters: Try again

The U.S. of A. came in hot on to the Olympic mat, once again, sweeping the competition for a gold medal win in the women's gymnastics team final. There were jaw-dropping performances by Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey, and Jordan Chiles and redemption for G.O.A.T Simone Biles, whose floor routine proved a history-defining moment for the Olympics.

"Everybody wants to know what I would do if I didn't win. I guess we'll never know."

Brazil gymnastics makes history

Brazil's women's gymnastics team showed up in the same final and showed out in a history-making podium win, as team member Flávia Saraiva quickly recovered from a frightening uneven bar fall and donned her medal with a black eye.

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Men's gymnastics wins bronze, "pommel horse guy" wins hearts

The Olympic gymnastics team competition was an all-around impressive feat of sports, and the U.S. men's team came away with their first medal since the 2008 Beijing Games, taking bronze. Stephen Nedoroscik, a pommel horse specialist and the internet's new Clark Kent, caught the audience's attention as he calmly threw off his black frame glasses and threw up huge scores on the event. A new American hero was born.

USA Women's rugby has incredible, emotional win

Women's rugby, a new U.S. favorite led by beloved TikTok star and on-field beast Ilona Maher, had heart rates skyrocketing as Alex Sedrick made a dramatically last-second play to beat Australia in the bronze medal match. Viewers rose to their feet to watch the American team take home their first medal. New Zealand, watch out.

The world becomes obsessed with Olympic shooting

Viewers couldn't get enough of the skill and mechanical irises of Olympic air pistol shooting. And when South Korean athlete and world record holder Kim Yeji took home the silver in the 10-meter pistol competition, the internet erupted. Newly christened fans resurfaced a clip of her competing while decked out in all black, backwards cap on, and a hand in her pocket — a true badass.

Ireland hive rallies for swimming win

Ireland's moment continues at the Olympic games, and the internet rejoices! In two impressive showings, Ireland's Daniel Wiffen won gold in the men's 800-metre freestyle — the country's first medal in any men's event — while Mona McSharry took home bronze in the women's 100-metre breaststroke, the first since 1996.

Olympic surfers can get pantsed, too

As Olympic surfing competitors lined the beaches of Tahiti, eyes might have missed the moment when German surfer Tim Elter was ceremoniously de-pantsed by a rough wave. The internet did not miss it. "When the waves don't deliver, then my ass does," Elter wrote in a comment on Instagram.

Haikyu!! fans awaken for Japan v. Argentina match

An Olympic volleyball match had fans of beloved volleyball manga Haikyu!! reliving their favorite moments, as Team Japan squared up against Team Argentina in a match that mirrored a pivotal scene in the story. On the IRL Olympic court, Japan entertained fans sporting Haikyu!! merch with iconic fandom songs "Phoenix" and "FLY HIGH." As one X user put it, life really does imitate art.

Surfing delivers the coolest picture ever

Sometimes, a photographer gets the timing just right. And, man, Jerome Brouillet perfectly timed this snap of Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina as he triumphantly rose above a wave.

The ride was a great one for Medina, who scored the highest of the day at 9.90.

Topics Olympics Social Media Sports

Chase sits in front of a green framed window, wearing a cheetah print shirt and looking to her right. On the window's glass pane reads "Ricas's Tostadas" in red lettering.

Chase DiBenedetto

Social Good Reporter

Chase joined Mashable's Social Good team in 2020, covering online stories about digital activism, climate justice, accessibility, and media representation. Her work also captures how these conversations manifest in politics, popular culture, and fandom. Sometimes she's very funny.